


The Shinra Newlyweds

by sueo



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe, F/M, Family Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Married Couple, Married Life, Romance, Tragedy/Comedy, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:01:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24098500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sueo/pseuds/sueo
Summary: After years and years of relentless pursuit, Rufus Shinra finally marries Tifa Lockhart. Some may think it’s a cinderella story between a bartender girl in the slums and a heir of a mega-magnate corporate heir; or maybe a cute romcom of an anti-Shinra activist ended up falling in love and marrying the man whom she thought she hated the most. Whichever it is, life is not all about a happily ever after; like Tolstoy’s first phrase in Anna Karenina, ‘Each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way’. Semi-AU where (almost) everybody lives.This was another of my old fic from ff.net, originally written in Indonesian.
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Rufus Shinra
Comments: 9
Kudos: 13





	1. The Wedding

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [The Shinra Newlyweds](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/618307) by sueo. 



The bells of the church were ringing non-stop since early morning. Doves were flying all over the newly expanded city of Edge, and people from all over Gaia attended the church that was located in the old Sector 5 slums - which have been newly restored in order to facilitate the most phenomenal wedding ceremony on the Planet. Honored guests have filled in the seats, while the rest of the world would either go out on the streets waiting for the matrimony parade or have their eyes glued on the TV to catch the whole celebration on the news. Everybody wouldn’t stop talking about the bride and groom - the current President of Shinra Electric Power Company and a bartender girl from the Sector 7 slums who was apparently an Ex-AVALANCHE member. 

A modern cinderella story, some might say.

Or perhaps a marriage that was destined to be doomed, the more skeptical others might think.  
  
\---  
  


Meanwhile at the inner section of the church that has been converted into a dressing room, the groom of the day, Rufus Shinra, has been holed up in front of the dressing table mirror for hours by now, moping about his last hours on the Planet as a bachelor, as he tended the leftovers of his hangover from last night’s bachelor party.

“Tseng, please tell me again why did I decide to go through this?”

It was quite rare to see Rufus Shinra being nervous, let alone whining. However, hangovers and pre-wedding jitters can totally do wonders to anyone; even to the man who was once proudly said that he will control the world with fear and was known for his ruthlessness.

“Because you love Tifa Lockhart?”

Tseng have lost count on how many times he said that today, and that’s because his boss kept on asking questions that leads to that particular answer over and over. Now he might be known as a person who never seemed to lose his composure, but this repeated cycle began to take a toll on his sanity. He should’ve followed his gut and go to the main waiting room with the other bridesmaids and groomsmen, but he didn’t have the heart to leave poor Rufus (?) alone in the dressing room.

“Yeah, but…”

“You’re the one who fell in love with her, you’re the one who decided to become her boyfriend, and you’re the one who proposed to her as you kneeled on one knee and offered that billion gil ring and said ‘Will-you-marry-me’ to her.”

“That’s true, but…”

“There’s no way that we can turn away from this, sir. Better finish up and get it over with because your bride will be here soon.”

Tseng then called in the makeup and hair team once more, who was temporarily dismissed from the room thirty minutes prior because the groom was impossible to work with.

As the team worked on their magic again, Tseng leaned beside the door as he rubbed his temples. Sure, the Turks have been working loyally for Shinra and do any seemingly impossible missions without haste, but this whole wedding thing takes more energy than having to deal with one of Hojo’s experiments running rampant into town. At this moment, Tseng would kill to be assigned to deal with a Bahamut alone rather than having to deal with The President. Sometimes, Tseng wondered why he haven’t thrown a resignation letter to his boss’s desk a long time ago. 

_Weddings are crazy,_ Tseng thought.

When the makeup and hair team is done, the tailor team walks in and do the final fittings to his suit. The joint effort ends up making Rufus looking as if he worth a billion gil more than his current net worth. Oh, he’s more than ready to face this wedding - save for the slight trace of his hangover and nervousness that's still present.

 _I don’t think anyone would be able to fix that except himself,_ Tseng thought.

All of a sudden, the door opened wide in a rather hasty way - startling everyone in the room.

“Oh, Reno. It’s you.”

“Heya, Tseng. What’s with the groom? He looked like he could use some fresh air.” Reno said, munching into some traditional jelly snack from Gongaga that Zack have brought for all the groomsmen.

Tseng shrugged. “Nothing abnormal for a man who's about to face his own wedding.”

“Tseng…Reno…is it too late if I want to cancel everything?” Rufus asked.

Reno was about to say something, but his words were cut off with the sound of the blaring orchestra outside bursting into a single note - a sign that they’re about to get ready to play the wedding song. They could also hear that the voices of the people in the guest seats were subsiding, and they can hear faint sounds of car engines in the distance….

The bride has arrived.

“Too late.” Tseng and Reno said in unison.

Rufus sighed deeply.

“C’mon, boss. It’s time to meet your soon-to-be First Lady!” Reno said.

“Does anyone have a pot of sleeping pills?” Rufus asked.

“Huh? What for?”

“Kill myself.”

A few seconds later, Tseng and Reno were dragging Rufus out of the dressing room with no mercy; inaudible wails echoed throughout the back area of the Church.

Meanwhile, Zack and Cloud watched the whole scene with utter confusion and some concerns.

Heavy concerns.   
  


\---

  
As everything have settled inside the church, the orchestra played Pachelbel’s Canon in D while everyone’s attention were directed towards the groom, who is standing handsomely in front of the altar in an all-white three-layered suit and leather shoes, all created by top notch designers on the Planet. In truth, his knees were shaking while his stomach was churning like a man strapped inside a malfunctioning helicopter. He really wished that he could just run to the bathroom right now and throw up, but he can’t; in a few seconds, he will make himself declared to be the husband of Tifa Lockhart.

How in the world did an ex-AVALANCHE member agreed to marry the President of Shinra Company? A huge effort full of drama, sweat, tears, gunpoint threats of various weapons, a million ‘missed bullets’ (mostly from a certain man with a machine gun for a hand), hundreds of ‘surprise’ magic attacks (from various materia users in the group), a dozens of random ‘barely missed’ flying _shuriken_ attacks (from a certain Wutaian princess), and the most hurtful of all, getting slapped by the girl herself for so many times that he lost count.

People thought that their relationship would be short-lived - some even hoped that it is. Everyone around them told them that it’s a terrible idea, knowing that actions from both sides have once made each other lives’ more difficult, not to mention the losses they experience from the seemingly neverending war for mako energy and the Planet. However, both were known to be persistent and stubborn; even to this second, they still couldn’t believe how he managed to willingly kneel in front of her and begged, and how she said yes.

The doors of the church opened wide, revealing ten little flower girls in two straight lines. They all wear white floor-length puffy dresses with red bows on their backs, each carrying a basket full of red and white flower petals that they spread on the ground as they walk closer to the altar. Behind them stands Tifa, who looks stunningly beautiful in her white wedding dress.

Her beautiful figure wrapped so elegantly in the asymmetrical wedding dress, its front skirt were slightly above her knees while its train were almost three meters long; its edges were half-transparent with intricate laces sewn on it. Her long black hair has been tucked into an elegant bun, decorated with gardenia flowers on its edges - the same flower in her bouquet. Her veil is even longer than her train; held up by Marlene and Denzel.

The two were also dressed in white, with Marlene wearing the same dress as the flower girls, her hair held up in a braided bun. She was smiling so proudly doing her duty for that day, not realizing that Barret was sobbing in his seat, looking at his daughter being so pretty and adorable. Meanwhile, Denzel was pouting hard in an attempt to hide his blush; overwhelmed by the amount of people praising him how handsome he looked since morning after he changed into the white tuxedo and maroon bowtie, a white rose pinned to his chest. Next to the kids are Dark Nation and Red XIII, also donned in maroon bowties; Red is tasked on carrying a basket with the wedding rings in his mouth, while Dark Nation is there as extra guard duty. 

Behind them were the bridesmaid and groomsmen; Tseng, Elena, Zack, Aerith, Reno, Cissnei, Vincent, and Yuffie. The men were also wearing white tuxedos and maroon neckties, while the ladies were donned in maroon sheath dresses.

Tifa’s majestically beautiful form took Rufus’s breath away. Not that Rufus thought she wasn’t beautiful and elegant when she’s wearing her daily clothes, but the wedding dress have transformed her into a whole new level of elegance; no wonder many girls dreamed of wearing one someday - he was completely mesmerized.

As Tifa approached the end of the aisle, Rufus offered his hand with probably one of the most gentle smile he ever showed in public; in which she immediately blushed at the sight, and gracefully took his hand with a smile.

Neither realized that the two were making the audience swoon in their seats.   
  


Meanwhile, as the bridesmaid and groomsmen began to settle on their designated eats, they began to whisper to each other:

Reno to Tseng:

“Yo, Tseng! You see that _glowing_ smile on his face? It’s making me shiver, man! What the hell he was drinking last night?”

Tseng to Cissnei:

“I’m not sure. Cissnei, was there something bad mixed in with The President’s drinks last night? Pesticide, perhaps?”

Cissnei to Elena:

“Hey Elena, don’t be fooled by that smile! Tseng said The President had accidentally mistaken pesticide for alcohol last night because he was too drunk. I think he’s still hungover and poisoned right now…remember how he looked so pale at the dressing room?”

Elena to Aerith:

“I can’t help but worry, Aerith. I heard from Cissnei that Tseng caught The President drinking spiritus mixed with pesticide last night - he was trying to end his life when he was way too drunk during the bachelor’s party, and ! I just hope that he won’t throw up on Tifa’s dress….”

Aerith to Zack:

“Hey Zack, I heard Tifa might be pregnant already. I heard Rufus was so drunk and forced himself onto her without protection, and she couldn’t stop throwing up in the car on her journey here. Elena is quite worried that she might throw up again in the middle of the ceremony. Oh, and she also mentioned that Rufus almost took his own life by drinking pesticide because one of his old injuries from the Diamond Weapon incident showed up again without warning a few days ago, and he was pretty upset about it.”

Zack twitched one of his eyebrows, scratching his head in confusion. Angeal, who is seated next to him, couldn’t help but wonder on why his junior suddenly wouldn’t stop scratching his head with an expression that reminded him of monkeys begging for bananas in a zoo.

“You have a dandruff problem or something?” Angeal asked.

Zack shook his head. “Nah, I think I need to get my ears checked at the ENT after this.”   
  
  
\---  
  


Meanwhile, the bride and the groom were exchanging their vows. Rufus and Tifa each decided to write their own, and the women swoon even more on their seats because their vows doesn’t include some light cliche words such as ‘till death do us part’, but they even promised themselves to stay loyal to each other beyond death.

_“…And I promise that I will dedicate my heart to you forever, because you have shown me a life beyond what was destined for me.”_

They then proceeded to exchanged rings, with Denzel and Marlene assisting Red’s task as the ring bearer. Although Denzel tried his best to keep his cool, he couldn’t hide his amazement as the saw the bride and groom up close, their happiness radiating. When Rufus said “Thank you” to him with a charming smile, somehow Denzel couldn’t suppress the feeling that _this guy is cool._

“I give you this ring as a symbol that I have committed my heart and soul to you forever, my dear.” he said, kissing her palm. 

Cloud said so many bad things about Rufus in the past that it may have clouded Denzel’s judgement, but even he have to admit that Tifa never smiled so radiantly glowing like this.

 _Perhaps he wasn’t such a bad guy after all,_ he thought. _  
_

And after they said their _I do_ s, the priest finally permitted Rufus;“You may kiss the bride”. 

Their faces draw to a close, and then they shared a gentle, tender kiss. The two were never the type who overly flair some public display of affection, but they’re not the ones who overly hide it either; in fact, there were many photos of them hugging and kisses in public places taken by paparazzis on mass medias. However, this is the first time that they kiss in front of audiences that specifically pay attention to them, and both bride and groom didn’t anticipate the nervousness.

And when they returned their gazes to look at each other, it only took a few seconds before two starts giggling only for a simple reason; that they just shared their first kiss after becoming husband and wife.   
  


\---  
  


Pachelbel’s Canon in D came to an end as they walked out of the church together, and everyone cheered and congratulated them. When they reached the middle of the aisle, Rufus came to an abrupt stop and suddenly lifted his wife up, and carried her with a proud smile all the way into the open roof wedding car parked right in front of the church; a restored classic car decorated in white and gold with Shinra Company logo etched on its doors.

Once they were seated, the brass band and the color guard units then took their positions at the front and back of the car. By the order of the troop leader, the brass section then began to play the beginning of a tune they’re all familiar with; Rufus’ Welcoming Ceremony.

And then, off they went for the citywide matrimony march.   
  


Throughout the city, people were filling up the sidewalks to see the parade up close; everybody couldn’t stop gushing at how the two looked so perfect for each other; the strikingly handsome groom and the amazingly beautiful bride. Some even almost couldn’t believe that Tifa was a bartender girl from the slums; dressed in clothing and jewellery worth more than a billion gil, she looked like she was born to be a First Lady.

It wasn’t only the glimpse of the Shinra newlyweds they’re after; people, especially children - were also after those special edition white gold coins that Shinra Company produced to commemorate for this day; they keep a bag full of those coins tucked below the car seat, and they would occasionally throw a coin or two to the crowd. Of course, Rufus also slipped in some Moogle coins in too.

Although they were busy entertaining the crowd throughout the parade, neither bride or groom would let go of each other’s hands; sometimes they’d steal a kiss or two, and the crowd, especially the ladies, will cheer and sigh. They wished to have a grand, fairytale-like wedding with a spouse that has confidence to show the world that he really loves his bride (Oh, they have no idea what happened this morning indeed…), while some men began to fret, knowing that it’ll be harder to propose to their love ones after this because they can already see how the girls all over the city wanted a dress or a ring just like Lady Shinra’s; the designs were very grand and elegant, even the replicas can be very expensive well after the Shinra wedding hype is over.   
  


\---

  
The parade ends at sunset, where they were taken to the airport to leave for their honeymoon that day. All of their close friends were there to see them off.

The car parked right in front of the plane, ready to take the couple to Costa del Sol. As Rufus and Tifa descended from the car, they were immediately welcomed with more cheers and hugs from everyone. Aerith and Marlene hugged Tifa and wished her a safe journey and a pleasant honeymoon, while Rufus shook hands with Lazard and entrusted him to take care of Shinra while he’s gone. Tseng used the opportunity to convince his boss once more whether it is safe and necessary for him to leave some of his entrusted Turks in Midgar, but he have already made up his mind; Tseng, Reno and Rude will stay and watch the base while assisting Lazard, while Elena and Cissnei will be the only present security units that accompanies them; the rest of the Shinra operatives tasked to watch over them in Costa del Sol will be incognito, as it was both Rufus and Tifa's request for them to be given as much privacy as possible during their honeymoon. And of course, Darkstar will be coming with them too.

Both Elena and Cissnei understood the order well - while Tseng, Reno and Rude halfheartedly obeyed for different reasons.

After everyone started to say goodbye to each other, the two readied themselves to go onboard the airship. Tifa was wearing transparent crystal heels that looked so inviting for a sprained ankle when used to climb onto an airship ramp, so Rufus decided to carry her once more. This time, Tifa was a bit more resisting; she’s embarrassed to be treated like such in front of her best friends.

“Let him, Tifa! You know more than better that most of us here have sworn to kill him one way or another if we caught him not treating you right!” Cid said, raising his spear.

“That’s right!” Barret said, knocking his gun arm loudly.

Rufus can only sigh - he’s getting used to her ol’ merry band. _Well, I did decide on marrying this family after all…_

They were about to go into the plane when Denzel suddenly screamed, “Wait, Tifa! You forgot this!”

It was the gardenia flower bouquet, which Tifa remembered she left at the car seat.Denzel brought the bouquet to Tifa, and she thanked him.  
“Oh, I was supposed to throw it to the crowd sometime during the parade, but everyone was so enthusiastic about the coins that I forgot…” she said.

“Well, why don’t you throw it to your friends?” Rufus suggested. “Besides, isn’t it more fun to see who amongst your best friends would be married next?”

Tifa smiled, and kissed him on the cheek. “You are absolutely right.”

Rufus then climb higher onto the ramp, and stops right in front of the plane door. Tifa told her friends to get ready, and then she throws the bouquet towards them.

“I GOT ITTTTTT!!!!”

Jessie and Yuffie both jumped up high from opposite sides with their arms stretching towards the flower bouquet, but the two crashed mid-air on each other's foreheads and they both fell onto the ground with empty hands and terrible headaches - leaving everyone roaring in laughter. 

“So….who got the flowers then?” Marlene asked.

It was only after Marlene's question that the laughters diminished. They scanned at each person nearby; not Jessie, not Yuffie, nor Cissnei or even Rude and Reno…

And then, their eyes would go to the girl who happened to be standing between Biggs and Kunsel.

“AERITH!”

Aerith couldn’t hold back her blush, hiding her face behind the bouquet.

People cheered, and the boys immediately nudged Zack to stand closer to Aerith.

“Atta girl! Congrats on getting the bouquet!” Cid said. 

“We can definitely look forward for the next weddinghappening sooner than we thought!” Biggs added.

“Hey Zack, why don’t you propose to her now? I know you’ve been saving up for a ring!” Kunsel teased. 

Both Zack and Aerith were too overwhelmed by everyone’s response, they could barely finish a sentence.

While some were obviously disappointed for different reasons. Yuffie, who was quite upset that she didn’t manage to catch the bouquet (Just for the sake of ‘winning’ - marriage was not something she’s really aiming for), decided to yank her leg and made Zack tripped over, falling directly on Aerith and like a scene out of cliche romance comics, their lips meet.

And then, the whole airstrip silenced before they erupted into another loud cheer. Yuffie just snickered, while Lazard, Tseng, Reeve, and Angeal just shook their heads as they sighed; Rude, Denzel, and Cloud turned their gazes away from the crowd, while Reno and Cid whistled.

Rufus and Tifa can only giggle. Even to the very end, someone still managed to pull a scene! 

So then, the newlyweds finally bid their farewell to everyone. As the airship that took the newlyweds flies further and further towards Costa del Sol under the clear sunset sky of the city, everyone watches from the ground with a smile and a prayer - hoping that the two will forever be blessed with happiness just like today.


	2. The Honeymoon

The day after the Shinra grand wedding, heavy rain fell throughout the city of Edge. Marlene and Denzel were just awake, standing in front of the window of their bedroom that looks over the city as they observed the view from their bedroom window, all covered with gloomy colors and raindrops.

“I guess we can’t go out and play this morning…” Marlene mumbled, hugging a chocobo plush closer to her - a gift from Barret from his last trip.

“I hope it’s going to clear up later during the day.” Denzel added. 

The two turned over to the door instantly when they heard footsteps of someone going up the stairs.

“Cloud!” the two exclaimed.

“What are you guys looking at?” Cloud asked, joining them by the window as he placed each of his hands on one of their shoulders. _Nothing out of the ordinary,_ Cloud thought.

“Tifa…I wonder how she’s doing?” Marlene mumbled.

Cloud sighed. “She’s…probably having fun with Rufus. They’re on their honeymoon, remember?”

“Even though it’s raining?” Denzel asked.

“I think they’re having clear skies over there - it doesn’t rain at Costa del Sol at this time of the year.”

Seeing Marlene looking more gloomy than usual, Cloud gently stroke Marlene’s hair, which was quite frizzy and rough - she fell asleep on the way home yesterday, and she haven’t had the chance to give her hair a thorough wash to get rid of all the hairspray from yesterday’s formal updo; Cloud was having a hard time plucking out all the bobby pins on her hair, and he was afraid to wake her up if he’s being too rough - lucky Aerith came over to help tucking in the kids, and she took care the rest while Cloud was told to go downstairs to join Zack and the rest of the gang for a drink - he’s the one who knows where everything are kept in this bar anyway.

To cheer the kids up, he then tells them to join him downstairs for some breakfast with sandwiches and hot chocolate at the bar counter while he's washing the pile of dishes from last night.

\---

“Cloud?”

“Yes, Denzel?” he said, not looking away from the sink as he kept on scrubbing the dishes under the running water.

“When will Tifa be back from Costa del Sol?”

“Three more months.”

“Would she live with Rufus after that?” Marlene asked.

“Mm-hm. She’s moving to the new Shinra Mansion at that new sector at the west. Rufus is also building the new 7th Heaven at the center of the city for Tifa to maintain, while Johnny will come back here and maintain this place with me - he’ll continue running the bar, while I’m still running the delivery service center.”

“What about us?”

“You both will be moving in with Rufus and Tifa - I heard he’s enrolling you both to this private school located not far from the new sector. Don’t forget to thank him later.”

Denzel and Marlene looked at each other - while they were happy to hear that they won’t be separated from Tifa, living with Rufus and moving to a new place quite far from where their friends live doesn’t seem to be something they’re entirely comfortable with.

“Um…Cloud?”

“Yes, Marlene?”

“Will Rufus and Tifa will have a baby together?”

A plate smashed on the floor.

“…Sorry.” Cloud muttered, hastily turning off the water tap and went away to grab the broom and dustpan at the back, leaving Denzel and Marlene who were staring at each other again in confusion.

_Come on, Cloud…don’t be stupid! They’re married already! Of course they’re going to have kids together someday soon. Hell, everyone thought that Tifa’s gonna be knocked up sooner than the wedding proposal! Aerith and Yuffie might said nothing, but god knows how many pregnancy scares she went through already… guy can’t even bother to get a fucking condom!_

_But still… it’s hard to accept the fact that Tifa is now a Shinra._

_His First Lady.   
  
  
\---  
  
_

Like Cloud have predicted earlier, the weather was quite sunny in Costa del Sol. Clear blue skies as far as the eyes could see, the wind gently blowing over the coconut trees, carrying over the scent of the sea throughout the city.

The distant sound of the rolling waves greeted Tifa as she began to open her eyes; she was about to get up from bed when she realized that there’s something warm and gentle encasing her body; she rolled over, and immediately noticed Rufus’ sleeping face and soon noticed that he’s wrapping her in a hug. She caught a glance of the time from her cellphone placed on the bedside table, and immediately sat up - _Oh no, I’m late! I need to go back to Seventh Heaven and make the kids some breakfast-_

 _…Hold on. I’m on my honeymoon right now. I got married yesterday, remember?_ she thought, giving a light knock to her own forehead. _Silly me!_

She then turned her gaze towards Rufus, and looked at his gentle, sleeping face. The man who was known to have no mercy on anyone, now sleeping like a baby next to her.

Tifa always loved how peaceful Rufus looked when he sleeps; it always reminded her how unpredictable life could be. One moment you’ll find yourself trying to kill each other and the next thing you know, you just fell for each other and what you thought would be your mortal enemy just became your husband.

_Husband._

She giggled at the thought of that word. The whole thing still felt unreal - it seemed like yesterday when she thought he was joking when he said _“I love you”_ so loud and clear at her; it was at that particular mission in Nibelheim where WRO decided to recruit Cloud and his team to clear out monsters in the area, and they were very unpleased when Rufus decided to oversee the project and be personally involved. Tifa forgot what they were arguing about in the middle of the mission, but Rufus said something that annoyed her so much to the point that she was on the verge of tears, and Cid almost stabbed him with a spear; _“What the hell was that for?!”_ he yelled, and that’s when Rufus confessed his feelings, out of the blue.

She remembered how everyone’s jaws dropped - Cid’s spear slipped away from his hands and fell onto the ground with a loud clang, and they all thought that he was making a stupid joke until he took her hand and kissed her palms.

And that’s the first time she slapped him. The first of many.

Seeing that it’s still quite early, she decided to pull up the covers and snuggled herself back into the embrace of his beloved husband and she drifted off to sleep as she listened to his heartbeat.

_ \--- _

When Tifa was finally awake again, she was startled to find that there was nobody lying next to her. As she got up from bed, she noticed Rufus at the balcony, sitting on the chair with a tablet in his hand, probably reading the news. Tifa took a shirt lying on the couch in front of the bed and put it on before she joined her husband at the balcony.

She hugged Rufus from the back and lowered her head, while Rufus craned his head up and gave her a morning kiss.

“Did you sleep well last night?”

Tifa nodded. “How about you?”

Rufus smiled, and kissed her once more. “Very.”

Tifa’s attention then turned towards the view from the balcony - they got an ocean view suite with an amazing view, and the sea looked very inviting.

“Would you like to take a stroll at the beach?” Rufus offered.

“How did you know?”

“It’s written all over your face, sweetheart. Besides, the weather is great today; pity if we spend it holed up in our bedroom all day. I haven’t asked breakfast to be served yet because I was thinking maybe you’d prefer if we go out for a stroll along with Darkstar.”

“Alright then.”

\---

The two then got changed - Rufus wearing an unbuttoned white shirt and a pair of white surfer shorts with red and black bloodsplat-like pattern, while Tifa chooses a white bikini and a white thin fabric that she tied around her waists to form a long skirt with high slit that reveal her legs, and both were wearing sunglasses. The two went out by foot to the nearby boardwalk shopping avenue with Darkstar in tow. He wasn’t leashed, since the place was currently quite devoid of public foot traffic; Costa del Sol is currently off season at this time of the year, and the Turks have taken necessary precautions to fend off mass media from the area while the couple enjoys their honeymoon.

The two found a quaint cafe that serves all-day breakfast menu, where they ordered some sandwiches and coffee; they also ordered a meat sandwich for Darkstar.

“Would you like to do some shopping after this?” Rufus asked.

“Up to you,” Tifa said, feeding the dog pieces of sandwich from her palms. The military canine may look intimidating at first, but once you get to know him, he is a pretty sweet and affectionate dog. “Why, is there something you’d like to buy?”

Rufus smiled. “Nothing in particular, really. I was wondering if there’s anything that I can get for you, now that you’re my wife…Mrs. Shinra.”

Upon hearing that, Tifa blushed. She’s well aware that Rufus is flirting on her, but she also understood what Rufus meant.

Back when they were dating, Tifa was a very difficult woman to please; right from the beginning, she endlessly reminded him that she will never ‘fell heads over heels by Shinra’s money’ - which became a personal challenge for Rufus; what should he give that would not show off his wealth, but rather convey sincere feelings?

He then started to try by giving her flower bouquets (Which he always bought from Aerith, and he would always consult in detail with the florist on what each flower should mean or convey, depending on the occasion), chocolates (which were handmade by his personal chef and taste-tested by him and his Turks), and more than often they’re accompanied by letters filled with poems and eloquent handwriting - they could be about love, apology, or a simple joke that would bring a smile to Tifa’s face. Rufus thanked his mother for insisting for him to take lessons on literature and penmanship in the past.

When questioned by Reno on why he would go so far for Tifa, Rufus simply groaned “Karma was biting my ass”.He remembered quite well back on his rebellious teenage days, his frustrated tutors would often say that one day he will find something that he couldn’t get with money; now they must’ve been rolling in their graves to see the spoiled Shinra brat scrambling around finding anything amongst whatever they’ve taught in the past, all to please a bartender girl from the slums without shoving his wealth to her face.

So now, when Tifa mentioned what she wanted for the first time - a matching necklace for him and her - Rufus was more than elated; Tifa _asking_ him to buy something for her made him instantly melt. He was so excited that he quickly took Tifa by hand and dragged her to the nearest jewelry store like a child who was too excited to go to the toy store, followed by Darkstar trotting behind them.

It doesn’t take too long for Rufus and Tifa to choose a necklace; they found perfect ones that happen to be on display at the front of the store - pear-shaped necklaces made out of sea glass; the latest trend of handcraft in Costa del Sol. They also took the chance to buy Darkstar a new dog tag, since the old one kind of rusted and scratched after many battles that he went through with Rufus.

Afterwards, they headed for the beach in front of their hotel, where they took a swim at the crystal clear ocean and took their time to enjoy all the beauty that Costa del Sol nature has to offer...


	3. Morning With the Newlyweds

People would often dream that after marriage comes the happily ever after; when you’ve officially tied the knot and live together with someone you love so much to the point that you’re willing to spend the rest of your life with, what else could go wrong?

“Rufuuuuuus! Did you forgot to close the toothpaste cap again?” Tifa yelled from the bathroom, while Rufus himself was busy digging through one of the many shelves in the walk-in closet with only a pair of dress pants and an unbuttoned long-sleeved shirt. 

“Sorry darling, I’m in a hurry right now! Did you see where my tie was?”

The First Lady groaned and stomped out of the bathroom. “I already prepared them on the couch - next to your briefcase! Hold on - did you took that shirt from the bed?” she asked, pointing to the shirt he wore.

“Yes, why did you ask? -Oh, there’s my tie! Darkstar! Get that thing off your mouth!” Rufus scolded, hurrying towards Darkstar and tried pulling the fabric out of his mouth. Darkstar took it as an invitation to play, where the game of tug-of-war was soon be won by the combat canine; the silk tie got completely shredded to pieces, and Rufus scolded the dog that obviously did not care; one of the dog’s handlers he hired to train Darkstar already warned Rufus and Tifa beforehand that presence of a new family member might make dogs misbehave for a bit for attention, but Rufus somehow forgot about it; probably because he’s in a hurry for an important investor of WRO and he’s running late. Meanwhile, Tifa decided to ignore her husband’s quarrel with his dog and took out a fresh pair of silk tie from the drawer, along with a neatly ironed shirt that was hung on the closet’s open clothes rack.

“I already asked the maid to prepare a new shirt for you this morning, remember?” Tifa reminded, giving them to her husband. Rufus got up with a rather annoyed grunt, and hastily unbuttoned his shirt.

“Why did you remind me this just now?” he asked, throwing his shirt to the floor and grabbed the new shirt from Tifa’s arms.

“I already did, but you’re so obsessed looking for your tie! Why can’t you just wear another tie? It’s not like you don’t have anything else!”

“The silk tie I was looking for was a gift from the investor I’m meeting today, my dear; thought that it’d be a nice gesture to wear it….”

While Rufus buttoned up his shirt, he couldn’t help but notice Tifa’s face. She wasn’t smiling, nor that she looked at him in any particular expression either. She haven’t showered, and her hair was quite dishevelled as she just got up a few minutes ago - but to him, she still looked amazingly beautiful.

After he somewhat finished putting on his shirt, Tifa came closer to him and she helped him put on his tie; an initiative that she did ever since they started sleeping together. It wasn’t easy for him to accept the gesture at first, seeing that it was a vulnerable position for someone to attack him. He never enjoyed being pampered as well, because he sees it as showing weakness (The Turks knew how stressful it was for both Rufus and the medical team at Healen Lodge during his recovery phase because he was being very uncooperative). However, as trust between him and Tifa grew, he learned to enjoy it.

After she was done with the final adjustments, he reached out his hand towards Tifa’s chin and brought her face closer to his. And then, he gave her a slow, gentle kiss.

The two wanted more, but soon she reminded him that he’s running late for the meeting. He let out a disappointed sigh, and turn to fetch his briefcase and was immediately stunned to find his loyal Turks standing by the bedroom door; none of them could hide their blushes - even Tseng decided to turn his gaze away.

“Since when did you-?” 

“T-two minutes ago, boss…” Reno stuttered, “While you were busy making out, the office called and informed that the investor has arrived, and we know that we have to fetch you immediately, but you’re not answering the door so we thought something happened and-“

Rufus threw his briefcase to Tseng, who caught it without a word. “Knock the door louder next time!” he said, before storming out of his bedroom.

The Turks then followed, excusing themselves to the First Lady one by one. As Rufus went down the spiral grand staircase, Tifa called her husband from the edge of the top floor and said “Have a nice day, darling!” and throw him a kiss and a sweet smile.

Rufus smiled and nodded, and when he realized that his Turks were staring at them again, he let out a cough and they immediately resumed as if nothing happened.

Meanwhile, Tifa returned to the bedroom and threw herself back in bed, followed by Darkstar. As she stroked the midnight black fur of the combat dog, she wondered about her life; three months after their honeymoon in Costa del Sol was over, she moved in to the newly built Shinra Mansion with Rufus. While she’s still settling in, it wasn’t as difficult or as awkward as she thought she would be; all the staffs are friendly and making sure she felt right at home, and Rufus asked a lot of her input to make the house look hospitable.

“We’ll throw a housewarming party with your friends after everything is settled,” he said.

And she looked forward to that. She missed them a lot.

She never knew that she would enjoy the life of being Shinra’s First Lady; especially getting along well with the Turks. She never knew that the agents known for their ruthlessness could be a merry band themselves - no different than AVALANCHE family.

And as she gazed towards the window, she wondered…

_I wonder how our lives will be when we have children someday?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there. Short chapter, I know. The original chapter is short, and I've been brainstorming to expand the story. The original Indonesian version was only four chapters with a loose end, but I plan to write more for the English version.


	4. Making Some Space

Today was the day when Denzel and Marlene finally arrived at the newly built Shinra Mansion for the first time. Upon descending from the car, the two children were stunned at the size of their new house - even the main doors were taller than Barret!

As they stepped into the spacious entrance hall, everything just looked so clean and pristine - like one of those luxurious hotel entrances in LOVELESS Avenue that they went to for lunch after the wedding ceremony. Both Denzel and Marlene weren’t sure what to do until they heard someone calling their names from up the stairs. The two looked up, and immediately beamed.

“TIFA!”

The First Lady of Shinra, now dressed in a white long dress, quickly descended the stairs and hugged the kids.

“We missed you so much!” Marlene remarked.

“Oh, I missed you both as well!” Tifa replied, “Now then,you both must be excited to be in our new home! Why don’t we start by showing you both to your rooms? Rufus and I have spent a lot of time preparing them!”

The two looked at each other and nodded, and they followed Tifa up the stairs. As they looked around to observe the surroundings, they wondered about what Rufus might have prepared for them; was he really involved and care about them? Or did Tifa said that just so that Rufus would look better in their eyes?

Denzel and Marlene got separate bedrooms, located near Rufus and Tifa’s. Between the children’s bedroom, there is a separate door.

“Whose room is that?” Denzel asked.

Tifa smiled. “You’ll see.”

Marlene’s bedroom was designed like it was taken right out of a storybook; the ceilings were painted like the sky,and if the lights were dimmed, there were tiny little dots lighting up, similar to stars. While the walls were coated with a custom wallpaper that has tiny pink butterflies on it. The bed was large and decorated with a white canopy tied with pink ribbons to its posts, and on its bedside table, a bedside lamp that has the shape of a hot air balloon sits, along with a Carbuncle plush holding a handwritten letter that says ‘Welcome home, Marlene’ - signed by Rufus and Tifa. There is a desk and a corner reading nook as well, with a large white armchair shaped a royal throne next to a tall bookshelf filled with books and toys. Adjacent to the room is a spacious walk-in closet already filled with hundreds of clothes and shoes, and also a renaissance-style bathroom dominated with pink and white marble colors.

Denzel’s bedroom too, was decorated nicely in a futuristic theme. The walls were dark blue, installed with the starry ceilings as well. His bed were also as large as Marlene’s, only without a canopy but with LED lights installed at its underside, and a bedside lamp shaped like a rocket ship, along with the handwritten letter welcoming him too. Denzel also earns a desk and a corner reading nook, but with a round black egg-shaped chair with dark blue cushions. Like Marlene, he also have a private bedroom and a walk-in closet, already filled with various clothes.

And then, comes the room that were located in-between theirs; the playroom.

They thought that they already have plenty of books and toys in each of their bedrooms, but the room was definitely a haven for children; a large dollhouse shaped like a castle, along with a vast collection of dolls and its clothes stacked neatly in a shelf; a corner filled with various plushes; diecast cars shaped like garage stacked up next to a custom-made racetrack circuit; a large TV and a rack filled with movies and video game consoles, arcades that they could only see in game centers; a mini-kitchen shaped like a miniature of a bar in Seventh Heaven; an activity center next to a shelf filled with books and art supplies where they could craft and read, and many more; even until they grow old, they’ll never run out of toys to play with.

Gone were their initial doubts about Rufus; the children immediately ran towards different parts of the room to check out all the toys. They couldn’t believe that everything in their room are theirs.

“Don’t forget to thank Rufus later when he’s home, okay?”

“Okaaaaay!” the children yelled, already busy with some toys they picked.

Looking at the two being so happy, Tifa smiled. Together with Rufus, they worked so hard to prepare the rooms for the children so that they would feel welcomed. Besides, the children have already gone through a lot of hardships for the past few years; they deserved happiness.

Tifa then took a glanced at a clock nearby, and saw that it’s time for her to go now; she then assigned a guard to stand by the door in case the children needed anything, while she headed to her bedroom.

\---

When the sun began to set down, Marlene and Denzel were lying on the carpet with toys scattered around them. Hours upon hours trying out every toy in the room finally worn them down, and the two laughed when both of their tummies grumbled - they just realized that they’ve completely missed lunch.

Denzel got up and turned towards the door, and saw that there’s no one there. They knew Tifa have left to do something else, while he somehow noticed that there’s a guard at the door checking on them a few times, but he already left.

“Hey Marlene, let’s go look for Tifa.”

Marlene nodded, and she got herself up from the carpet and joined Denzel out of the playroom.

The children then roamed around the house, calling out Tifa’s name repeatedly. The house have many rooms, but some of them were locked. So far they have found the library, Rufus and Tifa’s bedroom, a room that they initially thought was a baby room but upon closer inspection the room was filled with dog toys - probably Darkstar’s, and Rufus’ home office.

Just as they were about to go to the first floor, a Shinra guard in uniform and a red-haired young man with grneen eyes donned in a black suit and a matching bowtie approached them.

“Miss Marlene? Master Denzel?”

“Um…how did you know us?” Denzel asked.

“Oh, allow me to introduce myself - my name is Dave, I am one of the servants in this mansion assigned to assist you. Lady Tifa and President Rufus have briefed us that both of you will be moving in to the mansion today,” he explained, slightly bowing his head to the kids, who still tried to wrap around that the adult in front of them just mentioned them by _master_ and _miss._

“Now, how may we be of assistance?” Dave asked.

“Um, we were looking for Tifa!” Marlene said.

“Oh, now that you’ve mentioned it, I haven’t seen her for a few hours now…” Dave muttered, followed by worried reactions of the kids.

“If I’m not mistaken, I think she left the playroom right around the time when she usually begins her daily exercise. Maybe we should look for her in the gym.” the guard said.

They all agreed, and then Dave and the guard proceeded to escort the two kids to the gym room; the place is located on the first floor, and from the tall glass windows in the corridor they could see that almost the entire section of the house was made out of glass, overseeing the large swimming pool that has waterfall and large slides. As much as they’re excited to see the swimming pool, they really want to see Tifa right now.

“That’s strange…the lights were off…” they heard the guard murmur, before he and Dave proceeded to walk faster - Denzel and Marlene knew something wasn’t right, and hastened their paces too.

When they entered the gym room, they were shocked to find Tifa lying unconscious on the floor. She was still dressed in her gym attire, sweating heavily. The kids immediately ran to her.

“Tifa! Tifa! Wake up!” Denzel yelled, shaking Tifa’s body.

“Master Denzel, please step aside!” Dave said, approaching Tifa and tended her immediately. He checked her breathing and her pulse, and told the guard to inform the in-house doctors immediately and send assistance to take the First Lady to the master bedroom.

\---

Denzel and Marlene were then accompanied by a few maids and male servants; they tried to convince the children to wait inside their rooms while the doctors took care of the First Lady, but they refused. Even though the doctors would not allow them to go in to the master bedroom while they examined her, they decided to sit in front of the door and wait. Both were was inconsolable - Marlene kept on sobbing to her knees, while Denzel silenced as he wrapped his legs with his own arms.

Around fifteen minutes later, the maids and the butlers suddenly stood up from their posts and walked away from the children. The two thought that the servants were finally leaving them alone to take care of something else, but it turns out that Rufus has arrived - along with his loyal Turks standing behind him.

Rufus walked closer towards them, and he slowly kneeled to level his eyes with them. Both children fell silent for a while as their eyes met his, until Marlene suddenly asked, “Will Tifa be alright?”

Rufus nodded and brought his palm to Marlene’s head, and began to stroke her gently. “I’m sure she will be alright.”

Much to Rufus and Denzel’s surprise, the little girl suddenly pushed forward and fell into the arms of the President, crying as loud as she could onto his chest.

Rufus was unsure what to do, but he remembered what Tifa would do; whenever Marlene is upset, she would hug her and stroke her head gently until the little girl felt better - so he did the same. He wasn’t sure if he had said the right thing, because he didn’t even know if his wife is going to be alright or not. But seeing that Marlene became calmer gave him some relief. 

A few moments later, the master bedroom door opened and a female doctor dressed in a white lab coat emerged. Rufus immediately stood up, but still maintaining to hold Marlene close to him.

“Good afternoon, President Rufus. The team has just finished checking up on the First Lady. She’s already conscious, and we’re ready to announce the diagnosis. I’d like to invite you in, but…what about these kids, sir?”

“They are our children.” he said. “Would it be okay for them to come in as well?”

The doctor smiled gently. “Of course. I’m sure they’ll be delighted to see their mother.”

Rufus then stepped into his bedroom, followed by the two children who was still greatly confused on what the President have just said - _their_ children?

Their curiosity would have to wait, as their attention immediately went to Tifa, lying on the king-sized bed. She still looked a bit tired, but at least she is conscious now. Another female doctor and a few nurses were standing there.

“Tifa! Tifa! Are you alright?” the children asked, immediately running towards her.

She nodded and let out a weak smile, and stroked each of their heads gently. Meanwhile, Rufus slowly took a seat on the bed, careful not to shake or hurt his wife. He held her hand and smiled at her before she proceeded to kiss her forehead.

“Okay, so…are you all ready to hear the news?” the doctor asked.

Rufus nodded.

“Well, I would like to say congratulations, because Lady TIfa is five weeks pregnant!”

Rufus and the children immediately turned to Tifa, who was smiling as she let out a gentle laugh. The children cheered, while Rufus embraced Tifa.

“Thank you, my love.” he whispered to her ear, and kissed her forehead. “I couldn’t be happier.”

“We’re going to go through this together, alright?”

Rufus nodded. She noticed a single tear have dropped at the edge of her husband’s eye, and she brought her thumb to his face to wipe it away. As she watched him smile, she remembered a part of their wedding vows;

_“…To trust each other during the most vulnerable times, is part of being in a relationship…”_

While the couple went to talk with the doctors, the servants escorted the children away to the dining hall to have their meal - Rufus noticed that the children’s stomachs have been grumbling; they were hesitant to go at first, but Tifa told them that they can come back later.

So off they went to have their first meal in the mansion - the chef was very friendly, asking them personally what they would like to eat because it’s a special day; Denzel asked for steak and mashed potatoes, while Marlene asked for potatoes au gratin. The chef also made them chocolate pudding with whipped cream and cherry on top, and some fresh Banora White juice.

The meal was very delicious, and the children happily filled their stomachs.

\---

After the meal, they were told to take baths and after they changed into their pyjamas, the maids then took them to see Rufus and Tifa back in the master bedroom. The couple seemed to have refreshed themselves as well, as they have changed into comfortable sleeping outfits as well and they were lounging on their bed, with Darkstar curling up on the dog bed at the corner of the room. The dog looked up towards the children as they came closer to the bed, but soon yawned and went back to sleep.

“Denzel, Marlene, have you guys had a meal and took a bath?” Tifa asked.

“Yeeeeees,” the children answered in unison.

“Alright, you both can come up to the bed - slowly, though.”

The children obeyed, and they carefully shifted themselves as they got into comfortable sitting position to face Rufus and Tifa.

“So, how do you guys like the house? Everything good?” Tifa asked.

They nodded.

“Are the servants nice to you?”

They nodded.

“Is there anything you would like to say to Rufus?”

The two children looked at each other, wondering what they should say.

“Uuuumm…..I think we can start by saying…thank you for all the nice things you got for us?” Marlene said.

“And thank you for welcoming us in your home,” Denzel added. “But…we have a question for you.”

“What is it?” Rufus asked.

“Earlier when we were waiting for the doctor in front of the room…why did you say to the doctor that we are your children?”

Rufus and Tifa blanked. The children’s faces looked absolutely serious that they couldn’t help but burst out laughing, leaving the children dumbfounded.

“Oh, that…I’m sorry, we planned to discuss this on our first dinner together tonight, but things didn’t go as planned…” Tifa replied, “Well, we want you to know that we’ve adopted the both of you - legally, we are your parents.”

Of course, the news was shocking for both of them - especially Marlene. “But what about my daddy?”

“Barret have agreed to it, sweetie. Don’t worry.”

The answer does not flush away the frown on Marlene’s face. “Does this mean…that daddy is not my daddy anymore?”

Tifa shook her head. “Of course not! Barret is still your daddy, but from now on, Rufus is your daddy too.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Every child can have more than one mom and dad, Marlene - nothing’s wrong with that!”

“Does that mean that we have to call you both mommy and daddy from now on?” Denzel asked.

Everyone fell silent for a while. Rufus turned to Tifa for an answer, but it seems that she wanted Rufus to answer this. Meanwhile, he looked over to the children, who were avoiding eye contact with him.

“It is entirely up to you,” Rufus answered. “I understand that this life we’re taking you into is very different from what you’ve experienced before and this may be overwhelming, so I am more than fine for you both to take your time. After all, family bonds is never built within a day.”

Denzel and Marlene sighed in relief, while Tifa couldn’t be more proud of her husband; he really did thought well of the children. He may not be aware of it, but a few months prior to the wedding, she found out that he discussed a lot of things with Reeve and some staffs in the company who have experience in adoption, or had experience living in the orphanage or being in the foster system.

 _He’ll surely be a good father,_ Tifa thought.

“Um, may I ask for another thing?” Marlene asked.

“Sure, go on.” Rufus said.

“Where do babies come from?”

Both Rufus and Tifa froze.

“I-I’m sure that you’ll learn that in school later….“ Tifa stuttered.

“But we need to know! We want to know how you and Tifa are going to have babies because Tifa’s baby is going to be our little brother or sister!” Denzel insisted.

Rufus was speechless. Overwhelmed by the children’s persistence, he suddenly blurted “M-maybe...you can ask the Turks?”

And so, the children immediately jumped out of bed and went out of the bedroom to look for the Turks, while Rufus and Tifa sighed in relief.

Crisis averted…for now.

The peace and quiet didn’t last long; a few minutes later, Tifa beckoned Rufus to look out their bedroom window that overseestowards the swimming pool area, where the Turks are now being chased by Denzel and Marlene.

The two couldn’t stop laughing - especially at Tseng; even the calm and collected leader of the Turks couldn’t handle being questioned about the birds and the bees by children.

They then returned to lie down in bed, and Tifa turned on the TV. Rufus pulled up Tifa’s sleeping tanktop and planted a kiss to his wife’s stomach.

“We’re all waiting for you, little one.”

And through the whole night, Tifa felt her stomach very warm; other than feeling a life is growing inside her, Rufus wouldn’t take his hand off. He’ll gently rub it from time to time, and he kept on holding on to it even as he hugged his beloved wife in his sleep, as if he’s trying to protect it from everything that may harm the mom and baby.

And that becomes a habit of his for the months to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The translated part from the original fic ends here; however, I plan to continue the story from here - translated from the chapters that I've never published before on ff.net. Please stay tuned and thank you for the comments and kudos!

**Author's Note:**

> Since this is another translation from Indonesian to English (again, from my writing ten years ago) there may be some things lost in translation - hence why Rufus sounds quite OOC (well, he was heavily hungover during the early scenes so I hope that explains). This was meant to be a humorous crack fic at the start, but later on the story gets deeper somehow. Anyway, I hope you guys still enjoy this fic!


End file.
